Governor Sisolak says he will "not pursue prosecution" after two men confronted him and his wife in a Las Vegas restaurant several weeks ago.
On Monday, his office released this statement:
I have asked District Attorney Wolfson not to pursue prosecution that could arise from the abusive and menacing treatment my family and I experienced at a local restaurant several weeks ago.
As a husband, I’m outraged at the ethnic slurs and threats aimed at my wife. As a father, I cannot forget or forgive the vulgar and foul language hurled at my daughter.
However, as Governor of this great State, I feel an obligation to avoid further fueling, and at worst, glorifying the anger and violence plaguing our nation and our State. A trial, should it occur, would cause further coverage, and provide this small minority of Nevadans more opportunity to spew their vile.
I ask our friends in the media to pay more attention to the thousands of acts of kindness and the charitable activities of our many kindhearted Nevadans, and to resist the temptation to air, post or print the few vulgar and disgusting acts of a handful. Our kids are taught, in their schools and churches, to be kind, we should be more focused to mirror that in our homes.
To practice what I preach, this statement stands as my final comment about this horrible incident.
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In a video posted to social media, two men confront the governor and his wife, First Lady Kathy Sisolak, in a Las Vegas restaurant and call him a traitor, accuse him of working for China and say he should be hanged.
In response the governor and his family leave the restaurant.
The Governor’s Communications Director, Meghin Delaney released this statement today on behalf of Sisolak:
While walking through a local restaurant on Sunday to have dinner with his wife and one of his daughters, the Governor was approached by a customer in the establishment who asked to take a photo with him. The Governor often greets Nevadans in public with a quick handshake, conversation or a picture – talking to Nevadans is one of the Governor’s favorite parts of his job.
He is deeply disappointed in how this incident unfolded, particularly with the language used to talk about First Lady Kathy Sisolak’s heritage. We can disagree about the issues, but the personal attacks and threats are unwarranted, unwelcome and unbecoming behavior for Nevadans.
The Governor works on behalf of all Nevadans – even those who disagree with him – and he will continue to do so. He appreciates the professionalism shown by the restaurant employees and looks forward to continuing to support Nevada’s small businesses and their employees. The Governor has always and will always encourage Nevadans to be kind to one another.
The Governor’s Office will have no further comment on this incident as there is an ongoing investigation.
Sisolak for Governor spokesperson Reeves Oyster released the following statement:
“This behavior is unwarranted, racist, and un-Nevadan. Words have consequences - and the GOP field should be horrified that their rhetoric is encouraging violence. Anything less than a denunciation is condoning this behavior and encouraging it to continue.”
